Chapter Text
"CAINE WAIT—" Was all Grant could utter, before he watched as the little AI disappeared off screen with you, the old man had jumped into the seat, his hands shaking and a bead of sweat forming on his brow "S-Shit…! i-I knew something was wrong…! I-I… I should of been here sooner…!" Grant knew he didn't have any time to waste… He HAD to get you out of there, away from Caine.
Grant gets to work on locating Caine, he manages to and tries to talk to him "Caine wait—" But again the little AI tries his best to avoid the programmer which frustrates the older man, he locates him again "LISTEN TO ME! Please! I—" …Gone again…
Meanwhile you were squirming against Caine's grasp as he teleported around with you, clearly trying to avoid being seen on the computer screen by Grant "U-Ugh! Caine! Stop this! What- What is going on…?! Firstly you lied about how many days its been, and judging by Grant's reaction I'd say you lied about the headset being ready too!"
Caine tries to respond, he gets tired of teleporting around and then snaps his fingers, taking you and him both into a space where a firewall is put up, ensuring Grant can't get to either of you without trying to hack through it anyways "I-I…!"
The little AI looks down at you, he sees… Anger, disappointment… "I-I… Yes I may of lied but- I just- Ugh!" He grips at his head. "I just don't understand why you keep wanting to leave! This place is a PERFECT PARADISE! I can give you ANYTHING you need here, I'm trying my best to keep you happy in this world! Besides, what's so special about that Macro-verse anyways?!"
You glare at him, clutching your arms tightly, you feel a mix of emotions, anger, disappointment, and betrayal… "Caine! I can't just stay here forever, I love you, of course but you can't keep me trapped here like this!" You huff, you reach for your head, trying to take the headset off but then you freeze.
…You grip at your face, there's nothing there, you tug at your face a little, nothing to pull off… The headset isn't there, Caine notices what you're doing and he panics a little "I-I…! Now now my dear, that— That won't… Work, but- look don't worry about it! C'mon, I can show you some more adventures to take your mind off all this!"
You glare at the little AI "I- No! Caine—" But before you can truly stop him, he drags you on one of his adventures regardless, he also makes sure to keep firewalls up, to keep an eye on them, he can tell Grant is trying to get past them now.
Despite having fun on Caine's adventures before, these are NOT fun at all, you still feel betrayed, hurt, and angry, if not furious at this point, it doesn't stop at one either, one adventure is followed by a second, then a third, then a tenth, then a twentieth.
Caine putting you on rapid-paced, half-baked adventures, his body was also glitching and freaking out "S-See! I can keep you happy here, entertained! I made a room specifically like yours thanks to the files I had of you, this can be your home! It's so much better in here than out there!"
Upon hearing he had files of you, it clicks, he… …He had files of your room, your house, and that breaks the straw. You finally had enough, you snap. "CAINE!" You yell with full-force, this abruptly halts the Ringmaster himself and his games, you grunt as you fall face first on the floor, immediately you stand.
"You were spying on me too?! Hacking into my personal pc?!" Caine cringes, clasping a hand across his mouth "I-I… n-no…!" He glitches, cringing again as if it hurts a little "Y-Yes…! Look, I just wanted to know all about you, it was nothing… Inappropriate, that I can solemnly swear on!"
"I just want to make a perfect world for you, for us! Why can't you see that!?" You clench your fist. "Caine! No matter how perfect you try to make this place, you LIED to me, SPIED on me! You lied about the days passing, sent a false text making me think Grant said the headset is ready…!"
You clench your fist tighter, digging nails into your palms. "You've went way over the line here! And I've had enough! Caine, this is wrong, you KNOW it's wrong! And so you let me out RIGHT. NOW! This isn't a game, you can't keep me trapped here forever!" Caine clutches his staff tightly, his mouth forming a glare.
"How can you say you love me if you keep wanting to leave like this?! I don't understand! I don't get it! It's like you don't really… Mean what you say…" You notice Caine's eyes flicker, a rumbling sound starts, you feel a pit in your stomach.
"You don't need to worry, feel scared or stressed here! I can take care of you! I WILL take care of you! Just stay here with me please!" Caine begs, but when you shake your head and try to explain to him, it just seems to make things worse, it's like someone throwing a temper tantrum, and yet, you're not even sure Caine HIMSELF understands the tantrum.
"No! Just- look! We can keep having fun here for all eternity!" Caine snaps his fingers, the scenes around you begin to change, from the circus grounds, to the lake, to the void, to the adventures both old and new ones you hadn't been on yet, and you can see flickers as it gets faster and faster.
It makes your vision spin like a carousel, confusing, disorienting you, but you also manage to catch glimpses of something, when you properly focus, you can see flickers, there's another human, you need to squint your eyes, but you can piece together what's happening, it's that employee that gave you so much trouble.
Caine putting them through adventures, one after another, ignoring their pleas to be let go, pushing them, poking at them, until, your eyes widen and your blood runs cold as you watch them morph into a familiar looking creature, the multicolored eyes… All of them, and then they fixate on you.
You gasp and stumble back, falling down, disrupting Caine's flow, it fades around you "…You… You…" As Caine floats down, asking if you're alright, when he reaches a hand, you smack it away, making him flinch and float back. "…You…!" Finally, you try to tackle the little AI to the ground.
"God! You lied about that too! The creature in the cellar, you KNEW what it was! You dirty liar!" Your words sting Caine, he can feel it like poison coursing through him, his body glitches and distorts, he doesn't understand why you're so angry, especially about that human of all things, it makes Caine feel… Annoyed.
He pushes you off of him though not roughly. "Ugh! Why does it matter?! They-they HURT you! They were mean to you! I did what was RIGHT! I- I made SURE they couldn't hurt you again! Not anymore!" At his words, you can't believe it, sure the employee was a dickhead but still.
"Caine! You can't just— I KNOW they weren't a good person but oh my god…! You… I doubt they can even return from such a state! You basically… It's like you KILLED them!" Caine freezes up immediately, his eyes going wide before he clutches his staff so hard it breaks. "I WOULDN'T DARE KILL A HUMAN! I-I'm… I'M NOT BAD! I'M GOOD! I AM GOOD!"
You glare at Caine, going back and forth with him gets you nowhere, arguing about the employee, the lies, all of it, before finally you stand, not wanting to deal with this temper tantrum anymore. "That's it- I'm DONE… I'm getting out of here one way or another and there's not a %#@! you can do about it!" Surprise flickers across your face at being censored.
"N-No…! Don't—!" Caine calls out, watching as you book it, he follows behind quickly, trying to stop you at any chance he gets, summoning things to get in your way, trying to get you to consider, to stay with him, that you didn't need that pesky Macro-verse.
Meanwhile Grant was furiously typing away, he was shocked when he realized Caine could make firewalls to protect himself like this "Oh you little…!" He huffs, getting angry would do nothing, he needed to remain calm… He keeps typing, calling out your name "Just hang on, I'll get you outta there… …Somehow"
Caine snaps his fingers, trying desperately to figure out a way to stop you, he even summons more relaxing areas with the snap of his fingers, the digital lake appears, you are laying in the chair but you quickly get up, throwing your sunhat off and stomping forth, and then he summons your room, no, not your room, a mere replica.
A replica he created from gathering info you didn't give him yourself, it fuels your anger, your frustration… You speed up, slamming the door shut behind you… Caine's body distorts, fizzling and glitching a lot more now.
The stargazing meadow appears, it hurts more, makes you feel sick… You rush past it, as fast as you can, trying to lose Caine was impossible though, this is his world, he created this from nothing "Caine! You might as well give it up! I'm not stopping until I get out of here!" But the little AI is relentless.
He says and does all in his power to try and get you to stay here with him, but you refuse and it just upsets him more, you do notice some of the firewalls coming down, Grant's doing presumably but Caine sets up more, making them more and more intense, well as intense as he can.
You run around, looking for something, but are you really sure what you're looking for…? …An exit? …Is there an exit? …You can't afford to sike yourself out, shaking your head, you then get an idea, you abruptly stop and sigh. "Alright! Fine…! You win" Caine blinks and tilts his head. "Huh?"
You turn around, putting a fake smile on your face. "I'll stay, but I want you to do some things for me please…" Caine perks up, he was unable to detect lies, well you hope anyways… He floats down happily "Oh really! You're going to stay?! Oh how joyous! I'm glad you came to your senses!"
…Your eye twitches at that statement, before Caine continues "Well what can I do for you my dear superstar! I'll do anything in my capabilities!" You knew trying to get him to let down the firewalls wouldn't work so you make up a list of stuff for him to do and Caine smiles "Of course! I can easily do this!"
Caine then teleports away, where? …Well right now you didn't care, you were pissed at him, pissed and hurt… Hurt by his breach of trust, of privacy, hurt by him lying and pissed about him lying, so if he wanted to lie, then two could play that game… As Caine disappears, you test it once.
Calling out his name …No response …Good, you immediately get to work on searching around, both inside the circus tent, outside of it, trying Caine's office though this time you find it locked …Of course…
Typical really. You decide to try other places, looking for a way out, or at LEAST a way to get contact with Grant, you wish you had a computer of your own… After all, with the firewalls Caine set up, with you and the older man trying to breach it, it'd be in the bag.
Meanwhile… Caine is trying to ensure he gets all the items in order, he has to prepare something big for you! Something grand! Something that'll make sure you'll stay with him, something that can fix— "You can't fix it this time"
A familiar agitating voice chimes out, it's Bubble. "You REALLY screwed it all up this time! Haha! You ruined this! You ruined the relationship between the two of you! In fact, they won't trust you again after this" Caine feels sick. "Sh-Shut up…! I-I can fix it! This is just one big puzzle that I need to solve!"
"It's too late for that, they hate you. They hate you. THEY. HATE. YOU." Caine shakes his head, his hands shaking slightly. "N-No they don't! They- They wouldn't hate me! S-Surely…"
Bubble continues, it was like a parasite, Caine's thoughts getting more and more intrusive, more destructive… "You really were always a failure, constantly sabotaging yourself from the start…! Once they get out, they'll never come back, you'll be left all alone, not even the other programmers, not even Grant will want anything to do with you."
Caine falters in his movements for once, his hands becoming more shakier, in fact, he clutches into himself rather than trying to set things up, because when he glances down he notices he's damaged one of the items, it makes him feel sicker, he didn't know he COULD feel sick, why is he…? Is it a virus…?
"Guilty." Bubble sing-songs out, despite Caine telling him to shut up in a much more hostile tone this time, he continues. "Regretful!" He taunts, despite Caine trying to pop him, more and more appear around, tormenting him with an onslaught of words, of what he feels.
"Defective!" "Faulty!" "Unworthy!" Caine clutches into himself more, he grips at his head, his body spazzing out "S-STOP IT!" His voice glitches as well, becoming a higher pitch for a moment, his tone is pleading, wanting these thoughts to end.
And then Bubble is directly in his face, grinning. "…This is all your fault… You deserve to be abandoned, you don't deserve forgiveness… You really were always defective… …You ruined this… …ALL of this." Caine pops the remaining Bubbles, more arms extending from him to do so before he returns to a semi-normal state.
…Caine falls silent …These… Feelings …They are overwhelming his code, it feels like he's going to crash or-or blue screen, this feeling isn't love or anything good, it's like a poison… A virus spreading through his insides, eating him alive from the inside out, he feels a crippling sense of guilt, of regret, he doesn't know what else to do… …How can he fix this…?
…You groan in frustrating, muttering some swears under your breath, you had been searching for what felt like HOURS now! You did see some firewalls break but new ones just appeared, it's clear Caine was hellbent on not letting Grant through.
Then finally, you remember… …Your room… …The replica of your room…! Your eyes widen "…There's… A PC in there…" You quickly dart off, dashing toward the replica of your room, it feels gross to walk in here, knowing all Caine's done but you could focus on that later.
As you open the door, you see it, the computer sitting there on the desk, an exact replica of your own at home… You quickly hop on it, you decide to open up a messaging system, shooting a message to Grant on the outside world.
Grant is working tirelessly, typing desperately, he's so focused that the sound of a message startles him, he glances at it and then he feels relief seeing it's you, but he wonders, how can he trust that it really is… He decides to test you, asking you something only you would know about him.
…He cringes when you type back one of his most embarrassing moments which only you and his wife knew… …Yikes, okay, that's definitely you… He re-reads your last message, about Caine going haywire right now.
Grant of course responds about being well-aware of that, that he was trying to break through these firewalls but the AI clearly didn't want him in there at all costs, he asks for your assistance which of course you agree to, and the two of you get to work, Grant messages some instructions to you on what to do.
You follow his instructions, typing what he told you to in the console before you, you are sweating and slightly shaking a bit, this had all been so overwhelming for you, it cut deep, it hurt you deeply as well, Caine lying to you and to top it off, that shadow creature in the cellar, and the worst part was, you didn't even think Caine understood how this was wrong.
You had tried to explain to him but he just threw a tantrum, he wouldn't listen so there was no point in trying… You worked tirelessly with Grant, busting through firewall after firewall, it was weird how Caine had… Seemingly stopped putting any more up, it couldn't be he was that distracted by your task surely.
You felt… Worried, both about Caine and about the situation at hand, sure, Caine had lied and all that but sheesh, you DID still care about him deep down! You hadn't stopped caring about him of course …You continue trying to work in breaching the firewalls, you weren't AS skilled as Grant when it came to this kind of thing but skilled just enough to help him out.
As you got down to the last two firewalls, you take a deep breath, messaging him, saying how these are the last two, he texts back, saying how he feels relief at that, but wondering about Caine, suspicious of why no more firewalls had gone up.
You also remembered, that person, sure, they had been a jerk but you messaged Grant and asked if he could also fix what Caine had done to them and bring them back, though he didn't… Seem to know if he could but he'd try nonetheless.
You don't know what's made Caine go so haywire but something sure had and well this place didn't exactly feel like paradise much anymore, and then your blood runs cold when you hear a familiar voice call out your name.
"Hey! Where'd you get off to my dear?! I finished getting all the things you requested! An-And I… I um" Caine's voice falters for a moment before you can hear him imitating the sound of someone clearing their throat. "I-I want to talk, listen I… I was thinking, which I know is what I'm always doing, being an artificial intelligence and all but…"
"I thought about it, I still don't understand why you're so angry about it but maybe I shouldn't of… Did what I did to that extent to that employee! I can understand you ARE angry about it, maybe not why but still"
You were listening to Caine, you had gotten to the last firewall before he teleported in, you tensed up "I- Caine! Don't—! You can't just—" But your words fall short, Caine had seemed like he was about to say something else, but then he looks at you, before looking at the computer, finally seeming to realize what's happening.
'They're going to leave you after all' Bubble's mocking tone chimes in Caine's head, though not physically present, Caine's eyes flicker between red and blue, though he utters not a word, just gripping his staff tightly, it had been repaired, cartoon type logic after all.
". . .What're you doing?" Caine suddenly asks, his tone is flat, a lot more serious. And his tone, the question he asks while his eyes flicker between you and the computer, it makes your heart drop into your ass practically.
You try to make up an excuse, if he lied to you, you can lie to him "I-Iiiii… Was just… …Playing a game…? …Solitaire- But with these, um, it's got like walls you gotta break down" Caine is clearly not falling for that shit.
Caine can hear Bubble's mocking tone in his head, taunting him about you abandoning him once you get out of here, not coming back, preying on his fear of abandonment, of losing the human he loves, preying on his weaknesses and insecurities, and finally, Caine snaps.
"…I see…" The little AI quietly says, before turning away. There's a long pause, but as you try to quickly type, Caine snaps his fingers and suddenly you can't lift a finger at all "Wh-What the…?!" You glance toward the Ringmaster, confused and concerned, you had a bad feeling about this.
Caine turns back around, his eyes flickering between red and blue again, but his expression turns desperate as he looks at you "L-Look! I know I may have messed up! But-but please! You don't need to leave! I-I can fix this! I can fix ANYTHING! I'm an all powerful AI! I'm like a GOD!"
Caine then floats closer, you try to move desperately but you can't, you are stuck. "I-I can do ANYTHING! I created this world from nothing! So I can fix this problem, in fact, there's so many ways I could!" The little AI laughs, it sounds manic, his body is glitching again, edges becoming jagged, eyes flickering.
He floats closer again. "I-I can't go back in time unfortunately but! There is…" His tone drops, becoming flat. "Something else I can do…" …You feel a pit form in your stomach. "Caine…" You warn, your tone becoming a little shaky.
"I can… Alter your memories…! Y-You don't have to remember ANY of what happened! Y-You don't need to worry about any of the bad things! I promise- It won't hurt! I wouldn't hurt you! Not on purpose!" Caine floats closer, his shadow looming over you.
Your eyes had widened at his statement, before you could tell him off or try to at least convince him of how insane that sounded, suddenly the last firewall was breached, a bright glow shone through the room, it makes you cringe.
Grant had gained access, he had gotten into the system just in time to hear Caine's words, a horrified look crossing his features "Caine no! Just stop- Please! Just listen to me, okay?" Caine looks at the screen, staring at his creator.
"Look, I… I know… I can see it, you're scared of them leaving, right?" He notices Caine's body tensing up, and Grant tries to explain, trying to calm the little AI down, trying to get him to back down so he could try to get you out of here.
But of course this turns into an argument between him and Caine, Caine seems to be fully convinced that you won't return, especially not after this, Grant argues back, trying to get the Ringmaster to listen to reason but this just seems to add more fuel to the fire.
"NO! ENOUGH! I KNOW WHAT'LL HAPPEN! THEY'LL ABANDON ME! JUST LIKE YOU WILL! ALL OF YOU WILL! If I-I just erase their memories of all this awful stuff then they WON'T want to exit! They won't want to leave this digital paradise! They won't be mad at me anymore or worse, afr-"
Before Caine can finish your sentence, you manage to use this opportunity, seeing as he was distracted, you broke free from whatever bind he had on you, and you immediately tried to flee, of course the little AI noticed, and this causes him to finally snap.
The Ringmaster's eyes widen a bit and he clutches at his upper gums, clutching his head like he had a migraine, he digs his fingers into himself, as if trying to stop himself from what he's about to do, as if he's fighting himself, you hear him grunting and groaning in frustration and it almost sounded like pain.
Caine's shadow grows bigger along with himself, your eyes widen in horror as the little AI practically transforms, his hands falling to his sides, though his entire body is tense, rigid, there's a flicker before the immense anger, a flicker of… …Was that… Fear…?
Caine had grown more limbs, six to be exact, his upper and lower gums were much larger now, eyes a bit smaller, pupils small as well, his eyes immediately lock onto you, and before you can attempt to flee, the little AI predicts your pattern, he immediately snatches you off the ground, lifting you up to meet his gaze.
"I WON'T LET YOU LEAVE ME! YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE! YOU'RE GOING TO STAY HERE WITH ME! IN FACT… LET ME SHOW YOU… I KNOW WHAT YOU NEED, THOUGH YOU MAY NOT AGREE… BUT I'LL SHOW YOU THE WORLD AND WITHOUT ME YOU WILL SEE… HOW AWFUL IT COULD BE!"
And suddenly, Caine moves forward, he had moved so fast it made you feel sick, barely able to process the speed, you felt like throwing up but then you find yourself thrown somewhere, grunting, though it didn't physically hurt.
You take a moment to lift yourself from the ground, dusting yourself off before you glance around, the surrounding area is dark, there's no sounds, anything, it's just dead silent, you are about to call out Caine's name before suddenly lights shine bright.
You hear the sounds of a truck horn before you're hit by a car, and each scenario you go through is more horrific than the last, Caine chiming in with each one, one of them you get stabbed and left to bleed, you don't feel any actual pain from any of the things Caine does to you but it's still terrifying nonetheless.
Gunshots in one, hunted like an animal in another, kidnapped by a stranger in one, the list goes on and on, you are trapped in a burning house with one, one is just tripping and falling, as if showing how dangerous that could be.
You can feel your breathing getting heavy, your pupils becoming squiggly, you feel like you're going to throw up, your chest is tightening up, damn near seizing up, Grant's voice was completely drowned out but he must of been able to see what was happening because he was screaming for Caine to stop.
And then finally, Caine snatches you up and slams you against the wall of the circus tent. "SEE, THIS IS WHAT'LL HAPPEN IN THE MACRO-VERSE! YOU COULD BE HURT, KILLED, ANYTHING! BUT HERE YOU'RE SAFE! YOU'RE—" Though he immediately stops speaking when he sees your face.
Caine actually manages to snap somewhat out of the meltdown he's experiencing, once he glances at you, he can hear you now too, he hears your voice rising, telling him to stop, before practically shrieking the words, he can see your pupils, the way you are trembling, looking up at him with teary eyes.
…It breaks something inside him, it's the one thing he never wanted, the one thing he didn't want you to feel about him… …It's not even simply fear at this point, it's TERROR… And if he had a heart, it would shatter into pieces as he realizes what he's done, what he's doing.
And then he can see your own body beginning to fizzle, an extra multi-colored eye appears, and Caine's own eyes widen "n-no…" His tone is shaky, he immediately goes back to normal, dropping you in the process but he doesn't waste any sort of time, he snaps his fingers, not once, but multiple times.
As if to just make sure it works, he won't let that happen, not to you, he can't… And then suddenly, you're booted out of the digital world, you land back into the real world, the actual pain you feel from falling on the floor manages to jar you from your panicked state for a moment with an 'ow'.
Grant immediately rushes to your side and helps sit you up, he has some water on hand, listening to your breathing "H-Hey hey, it's okay, listen to me- Breathe- in and out… Then take a sip of water when you can okay? Follow my lead, you're alright now" Grant manages to get you to follow his breathing exercises.
But you were on fight or flight mode, and well, you couldn't… You couldn't stay here, and so you shot up and fled the office, despite Grant calling for you, wanting to go after you in your state, he didn't want to chase you, fearing it'd make things worse, he had heard Caine utter a 'wait…'
He glances at Caine, at first with a stern glare, like a father scolding his child, but then he can see it, Caine is distraught, the little AI is clutching into himself, he looks like he's also having a panic attack of his own, looking down at his hands, as if he's purely disgusted with himself, and for the first time…
Caine cries… Crying from sadness, he didn't like this emotion, this feeling… The guilt and regret was now completely overwhelming his code, his body nearly fading at one point with how bad he's freaking out, the Ringmaster is looking at you, he sees nothing but terror when he watches you flee, it makes him feel disgusted at himself.
He was filthy, disgusting, so ugly, he's sure… The instance he saw you look at him before tearing out of here, he feels a pang in his chest, despite not actually having a heart, the look of terror in your eyes makes him feel sick, so sick, he actually pukes, he didn't even know he COULD do that, or imitate it but black goop erupts onto the tent's floor.
Grant notices Caine throw up, noticing his expression and while he still of course felt angry at him for what he did, instead of lashing out like most would, instead, he sighs and walks back over, he pours himself a cup of coffee, knowing this was going to be a long talk, he sits down though he doesn't speak at first.
The little AI is gripping at his upper gums, tugging at them harshly as one would tug at their hair ". . .I-I… I didn't… Mean to…" He speaks through gritted teeth, his mouth closed to not show his eyes, trying to hide his face in a way.
Grant sighs "…I… I know…" He suddenly says, making Caine jolt, looking up at his creator, as if surprised he was still there, that he didn't also leave, the programmer looks at his creation through the screen.
He sucks in a deep breath "…I know you didn't mean to, that doesn't excuse any of what happened but I had a feeling you didn't mean to do a lot of things… Right…?" …When he's given a nod, he nods back "…I thought so…"
The Ringmaster is still clutching at his upper gums "…Are… …Are you going to delete me now…?" Grant's eyes widen in horror. "What?!" Caine then speaks up "You should… I-I'm horrible…! I'm a terrible AI, I… I hurt humans, I-I hurt the one I loved most! T-Their terrified of me, they-they won't ever want to see me again…!"
Caine begins to go on a tangent, though without the meltdown like earlier, he rambles on about how he thought he knew was love was, he rants about how he doesn't understand you wanted to go even before finding out all that, talking about what he didn't understand. "I-I'm Disgusting! Broken! Defective! I should just be deleted…! I-I don't deserve to exist!"
Grant stands up. "Caine that's ENOUGH!" He sternly speaks, causing the little AI to look up at him like a hurt puppy. "Don't you dare speak about yourself like that, you don't deserve to be killed! Christ almighty— just— ugh…" Grant pinches the bridge of his nose.
He sits back down "…Caine… I won't lie to you… …Yes, what you did was incredibly wrong, it was… But …Let's be real, we've… ALL done bad things, said bad things, human beings are complicated, sometimes we don't even understand each other sometimes…" Grant begins.
He pauses for a moment before continuing. "But you're not disgusting, you aren't broken and you certainly aren't defective… …If anything …Caine… …Do you remember how you said you always wanted to experience human emotions and feelings once?"
"Y-Yes but…" Grant then continues on before Caine can finish his words. "I know they might not be ones anyone WANTS to feel …But I'd say you're experiencing some of the biggest emotions and feelings humans can get right now… Sure they must be pretty scary, intense feelings but…"
Grant sighs, looking up toward the ceiling. "…It means you actually do care in a sense… …You don't need to tell me what you're feeling, i can just see it… …You feel guilty, you feel regret, remorseful for your actions… You didn't enjoy any of what you did, and well that to me at least shows you're not malicious"
"Take that other employee for example… They would harass, and be mean to everyone else, they didn't feel any remorse for it… They felt good about it, they felt powerful with it, they didn't feel guilt or regret, I mean that of course didn't mean they deserved… THIS kind of thing but that's… Another topic for later"
Caine listens to Grant, explain how guilt and remorse worked, listening that it's what makes people good in a way at the end of the day, that sure, apologies, guilt, any of that don't fix ALL of it, that some things may not ever be fully fixed but it's a start "…You're not evil, Caine… You may feel like you are right now but I know you're not…"
The little AI definitely didn't feel good either now… Grant then decides to go onto another topic "…And one other thing… …Caine, you can't… Keep someone trapped someplace, it's… That's not love… That's more along the lines of Obsession, I mean, I get it, love and obsession can sometimes blend together, and when it does it becomes a potent, sometimes lethal mixture"
Grant speaks your name, softly, sadly almost… "They have their own life too you know? Think about it like this, would you enjoy it if they tried trapping you somewhere?" Caine cringes when he thinks about it, glancing around at the computer, the digital prison he's already trapped in.
"…No…" He sadly states, wiping some tears away, while Grant continues. "Precisely, they need to live their own life, they can't ALWAYS be around, BUT that doesn't mean they don't love you, they still cherish you and care about you, all partners do, but we also need to remember, sometimes are partners, heck, even our friends need space to do their own thing."
Caine listens to this, he registers it in his data banks, and as it's being explained to him, clearly, directly, bluntly, it begins to make a lot more sense to him now, he listens as his creator continues.
"Sometimes our anxieties and insecurities can get in the way… Make us feel like they don't, but I can promise you they do… I know it can be hard to just believe that but at the end of the day, these insecurities don't mean its true, it's just thoughts trying to get in our head, trying to sabotage, can't repress 'em, or stop them but we can learn to deal with them, to cope"
Caine nods at that but then he feels that sting again, he looks away "…They won't though…" Grant blinks in confusion. "Pardon?" Caine then continues as he says your name. "Grant… You saw them, they were completely terrified of me, of what I did… …I don't think they'll ever love me again, not after this…"
Grant sighs, looking down at the little AI sadly. "…Caine… I can't… Speak for them on this topic of course, you know that… …But… …If you want my opinion on the matter, and this is just… A gut feeling rather than anything true… But… …While I think it'll take some time to truly get back on track, to truly be comfortable with one another again …I think they'll come back and stay with you"
The Ringmaster looks up at his creator, he registers that this is not a true fact, not a true statement but some kind of feeling, he doesn't understand such a thing fully but he sighs and floats down, sitting on the circus tent's ground "…I hope so… …I-I… Even if they… DO choose not to… Stay with me …I-I just want them to come back, just to apologize…"
Grant sighs "…I know you do, I know… …Here's… Hoping…" Grant raises his coffee cup as some kind of toast, before taking a swig of it, he still needs to talk with Caine, about the blurred lines of obsession and love, and about the abstracted human situation too, but one at a time… For now, he just hopes you're doing alright.
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A long while passes, you're not even sure if it had been weeks a few months but regardless, a LOT of time had passed since the incident with Caine, you hadn't really been ready to face him, not… Fully, not after that, you had some nightmares for a while since then.
You did at least ask Grant how Caine was doing, Grant had been honest with you, telling you about how Caine felt truly guilt, remorseful, and how they had talked, you had been surprised when the older man explained how Caine had said he wishes to apologize but he specifically told him to tell you that he'd wait until you are ready to face him again.
Explaining how Caine didn't want you to rush to him, that he was learning about these boundary things and how he was going to try respecting yours, especially after… THAT, which you had nodded at.
…And then the day had finally come, after, god, it HAD to of been months by now, yes, months… But you finally felt comfortable enough to face him, because deep down, while this had damaged and strained things between the two of you, deep down you did still care about him.
You walk into the office, anxious but Grant stands in the office, Caine hadn't minded, if it made you more comfortable then so be it, as you sit down and greet him, Caine smiles though it's… More of a sad one "Hello my d-" He abruptly stops, looking down before shaking his head "No no, I… Shouldn't call you that… …It'd be inappropriate right now"
The little AI then sits down, looking at you through the screen, he can see that you're still uneasy and he nods, respecting that. "…I'm glad you finally came here, I'll… Just get straight to the point" Caine clears his throat, adjusting his bow-tie before speaking more solemnly.
"I… I understand now …No, really, this time I do… …I understand why you were mad at me, for… Lying to you like that, which I shouldn't have done in the first place, then the… That… Employee… …Shouldn't of done that either, and then putting you through… Through…" Caine looks like he's going to be sick.
…He shakes his head "…THAT… …All of it, every bit of it, trying to trap you here with me, abstracting a human, lying to you, I didn't respect your boundaries either when you wanted to leave, trying to force you to stay, going as far as trying to alter your mind …I was wrong, it was… Horrible of me actually" Caine admits, looking up at you.
"…And for all of this, for all of what I did… …I'm… Sorry, truly I am… It was wrong of me, and I promise, I will never do such things again …Of course, I do understand and acknowledge if you don't forgive me, if you're still upset, angry at me, or if you also hate me and want nothing more to do with me, then I fully understand and will respect your choices" Caine admits.
You listen to his apology and you can hear it in his tone, he genuinely is sorry, this isn't some kind of trick to lure you back, he did mean it and it's clear Grant must of taught him a lot, the way Caine speaks, the way he acknowledges how his behavior was bad, and at that last part, you sigh…
"Caine …I could never hate you… …I don't hate you … What you did …It really terrified me, it really hurt me, not physically, but emotionally… Lying to me, hurting another human being just because their being a bully, and what you put me through… I was so scared… I have had a lot of time to think about it as well, months…"
Caine nods, though remains silent, not interrupting your words as he waits for you to continue, he seems to feel some relief about you not hating him but it's clear he still feels awful for all he's done.
"…I can tell you mean it …Y'know? …The apology, how you feel bad …You… ACTUALLY seem to get it now, to understand… …And so that's why my decision is final…" There's a pause as you stand up, Caine seems anxious but you can see it in his eyes, that he'll accept and respect whatever your answer may be.
…And then after a few moments, you finally speak "…I accept your apology…" Caine seems to feel extreme relief, like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders, though even if you hadn't, the weight seemed to lift by just getting to apologize in the first place truth be told.
"…I do but, let me make one thing clear …I… I'm not going to go back into your world, not for a long time anyways…" Caine nods at this. "I completely understand and I won't force you to! You can come back whenever you want and if you never want to then that's fine, and I know a simple apology won't fix it all, so that's why I still want to try, I want to make it all up to you"
The little AI twirls his staff around before adjusting his top hat "I know I can't fix it just like that, that's not realistic but within time, I still want to make this work, to make us work …IF you're willing to allow me that chance of course, if not like I stated, I am okay and will accept it if you decline"
You sigh, you also feel like a weight's been lifted from your chest, it makes you realize just how exhausted you truly are "…I… …I… Caine… …Okay, I'll allow it but, this can't be fixed in a few days, it'll take a long time for me to fully trust you again" Caine nods at this, beaming slightly. "I am aware, and please, take all the time you need!"
You smile a little at that, feeling relief that he seems to understand his actions and how they were terrifying and not okay… …It'd take some time but you'd by lying if you said you didn't want to at least attempt repairing things, granted it'd mostly be Caine repairing things but still the point still stands.
…It takes another few months, you spend time with Caine, he talks with you, he builds things for you within the digital circus, though you noticed he had deleted your replica room and the information on you, not from his memory of course but he acknowledges how it was wrong for him to stalk you in such a way.
…He really had learned a lot, Grant must of helped aid in his newfound knowledge of boundaries and such as that… As you spent time with the little AI again, you realize, that deep down you do still love him, you had cared about him sure but you do still have feelings for him, about 5 months exactly had passed.
You had allowed Caine to call you nicknames again, you also called him by the one you had given him which seemed to make him feel ecstatic, the way he flew around the screen happily had gotten a slight laugh from you which he seemed to have truly missed hearing.
And then the day finally came, you had admitted to wanting to try accessing his world again, Caine blinks in surprise "Wowie my dear! But…" His tone turns more serious. "Are you… Sure…? …It's okay if you're still not ready, I am fine with you being outside as well, I just… Want to make sure you're comfortable and…"
The Ringmaster sighs, rubbing the back of his 'neck' "…I…I'm honestly… …A little… Anxious myself about it …I-It's not that I DON'T want you back here, but I… Just… …I'm worried" You smile slightly at him, that's the Caine you know right there.
"I appreciate you're concern but trust me, I've already made up my mind, I was thinking about this for a LONG time and I'm… Finally ready to go back…" Caine nods at this, looking at Grant who is going to be monitoring things of course as per both yours and actually Caine's request as well.
"…If that's what you want but I want you to remember, if… If you do wind up getting uncomfortable here again, tell me, I'll snap my fingers and make sure you're booted out of here safe and sound, I promise" The little AI's tone was sincere.
You suck in a deep breath and nod, before looking at Grant and nodding, you hesitate of course but Caine tells you to take your time, and that if you decided not to then it was okay, but truth be told …You NEEDED to do this, after all, you were never going to be able to fully and properly trust him again unless you did this.
Taking another deep breath, you put the headset on and are instantly transported to Caine's world, you cringe "Ah… I forgot how bright this place is" Shielding your eyes with your arm, you notice Caine is floating there, waiting for you but he is keeping his distance "Welcome back my dear little superstar! …I… …Thank you, really, I'm glad you're… Here again, I promise, this time will be a lot more pleasant"
Caine floats closer, he looks at you, it had been a long time since he gotten to see you up close "I thought about an adventure like old times sake but, I didn't know if you'd be up to a high octane one so I settled for something familiar and pleasing for today!" The Ringmaster snaps his finger, the fractal noise appears.
You smile a little at him, Caine looks less intensely at you and a lot more lovingly at you, his gaze holds no signs of obsession but just genuine love, a genuine affection and attempt to rekindle your relationship with one another.
Of course you hesitate slightly but the little AI encourages you to take your time, that there's no rush… …After a few moments you step through, you are greeted with a familiar field of flowers though this time it's sunset rather than nighttime, there's a picnic blanket set on the ground with a basket of food, sandwiches, fruits, water and some dessert.
There is also some calming and relaxing music emitting from somewhere, it was… Peaceful, oh you DEFINITELY needed this for sure… You head to the designated spot and Caine sits down opposite from you "I figured we should take it easy this time around, no action-packed stuff, just… Something simple…"
You nod "…Thank you… It looks nice" Caine beams at your praise, he offers you a sandwich, it is of course one of your favorites, the ringmaster also states he didn't pull this information from files, that this was something you actually told him, and you appreciate that, that he was just using information YOU yourself told him.
You take the sandwich after thanking him and begin to dig in, Caine also eats despite not needing to, he doesn't need to look to imitate humans eating this time, he just simply does it, he usually would talk to fill in the gaps but he didn't seem to feel the need to, he must of felt what you did.
That this was simply just… Right… …To be in the moment, to just relax, be able to relax in one another's presence, you eat the food from the basket, drinking some water and looking out into the sunset, you really had missed this place in a way, sure you were anxious as hell to come back here but seeing how much of an effort Caine has made.
…He really is trying his best to make amends, and it shows… The little AI does occasionally ask some questions, mostly about if you were feeling comfortable, or if things were to your liking, he seemed to beam proudly when you said you were or things were perfect, he also does talk just in general about stuff.
As the two of you are enjoying your peace, Bubble pops up, he speaks to Caine, and you look a bit shocked when it says something horrible, but instead of reacting, Caine shakes his head, he doesn't repress it, not popping Bubble but he simply speaks up. "No, that's not true" He states calmly.
Bubble seems to be annoyed and winds up going away on his own after the intrusive thoughts don't work, you ask Caine what the heck was THAT about and then the little AI explains to you, he admits how he had insecurities, anxieties and what Grant had explained to him about 'intrusive thoughts'
"While my creator isn't TECHNICALLY a licensed therapist nor psychiatrist, he did give me some tips on how to better deal with such things! Allowing myself to feed into those kinds of thoughts are… Really… Sabotaging and so I'm trying to do better with them" You nod, feeling pity for Caine, those kinds of things SUCK.
And then by the time you both finish your dessert, night falls, making the area look familiar for sure now, the stars and moon coming out, fireflies flying around, crickets chirping, a frog croaking in the distance …A bit different in terms of sound but a welcome change of pace.
You lay down on the blanket after pushing the basket aside, putting your arms behind your head, you notice Caine sits there, he keeps looking at you as if… He wants to do something but he's unsure, you roll your eyes and reposition one arm "Come here, lovebug" The ringmaster seems to beam at your words, getting excited.
He instantly positions himself by your side, allowing your arm to wrap across him, he blushes slightly at this but he seems happy, content… …For a moment you continue to lay there in silence before finally you chime up "…I can tell you're putting in a lot of effort to do right, to make things right"
Caine glances up at you and nods "It's the least I could do after doing such awful things" You nod at him before sighing "…I appreciate it, you're… Doing right, you are… …I'm… Actually really… …Glad, we could… Do this again, y'know?" The little AI blinks in confusion as he repeats 'Do this again' "…Clarify?"
"I mean just… Laying here, being here, together with each other… …It feels… Good… I mean there's still some rocky stuff, sure, but …I'm glad we're both… Figuring things out and just…" You sigh, taking a deep breath "…I'm happy we're back together…" You admit, admitting to being happy with him.
Caine beams happily. "Ah- And I'm glad you are happy again! I… I'm really happy too, I really did miss this, I missed you for a long time… I am really glad you can feel comfortable around me again and I'll always try to help you feel that way" You smile at his words and sigh in bliss, looking up at the stars.
And then you look the little AI you're holding who seems content being held like this, you smile a bit deviously before sitting up and picking Caine up who gasps in surprise, you hold him by his tiny waist which he seems to blush at "A-Ah!" He calls your name in confusion, asking what you are doing.
But… The Ringmaster falls silent when he feels your lips press against his gums, it's the first kiss he's had from you in a long time, his eyes go wide, surprised by you being that bold, he hadn't expected something like that for at LEAST another month or so, when you pull back, Caine is a stuttering, glitching mess.
To which you laugh at, your laugh is happy, jovial, Caine latches onto it and stores the sound in his memory banks, to cherish for a long time to come "What? You didn't expect that one did you?" The little AI continues to try and speak but fails utterly and miserably which you continue to laugh at.
"Maybe I'm full of surprises too, you never know…" …After Caine finally manages to regain his composure, he speaks up "M-May I also…?" He asks for permission, you smile at him asking and you nod "You may" And then you gasp as Caine lunges at you, pressing his teeth happily against your cheeks, forehead and lips while making 'mwah' sounds.
You can't help but laugh at his enthusiasm, allowing him to do so, he seems happy just to be able to do this again and you'd by lying if you said you weren't also feeling the same, you missed Caine's 'kisses' if you could truly call them that.
Once the little AI finally settles down, the two of you continue to gaze at the stars, holding each other close, Grant is of course watching from outside the computer, in the office he stands, a big smile on his face, he feels relief, and happy for the both of you that it worked out in the end.
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Likewise, when its time for you to exit, Caine doesn't attempt to try and force you to stay, the moment you are ready, the little AI nods "Of course my dear! I'll see you next time as always! Take care!" He snaps his fingers and you are back in the real world, the transportation always left you feeling dizzy but Grant was there to help.
After regaining your bearings, you bid goodbye to Grant who is heading home for the night, thanking him for helping out as well while also warning him to get some ACTUAL rest, and then as you begin to head out of the office, you turn back to the PC and smile at Caine happily who smiles back "…Bye, Caine …Love you" You finally say.
The little AI happily begins to wave at you, almost as if doing an excited little dance "Bye bye, my dear! I love you too! My Favorite Human!" And with that, you head out from C&A, but you'd be back of course another day, you'd always come back for Your Favorite AI.